According to the SDP House of Assembly lawmaker, "just few days ago I was approached by the Speaker of the House Mr. Monday Igbuya, whose election has been challenged too, saying that twenty-three members of the House under his Party, the PDP, have contributed N5million each, amounting to N115million to have favorable judgments against the petitioners challenging their election.”

by Sahara Reporters, New YorkSep 10, 2015

SaharaReporters has learned of a desperate attempt by twenty-three PDP politicians in the Delta State House of Assembly to bribe a panel of three judges presiding on the House of Assembly election petition tribunal, currently sitting in the Delta State capital Asaba.

Monday Igbuya, Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly
newsverge

Confiding in SaharaReporters, two members of the Delta State House of Assembly, under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Labour Party (LP), disclosed that 23 PDP members in the Delta State House of Assembly have already contributed a sum of N5million each with which to compromise the three members panel of judges and receive a favorable judgment against opposition petitioners.

According to the SDP House of Assembly lawmaker, "just few days ago I was approached by the Speaker of the House Mr. Monday Igbuya, whose election has been challenged too, saying that twenty-three members of the House under his Party, the PDP, have contributed N5million each, amounting to N115million to have favorable judgments against the petitioners challenging their election.”

"The Speaker therefore advised me that I bring my own N5million to join to the N115million already contributed for the settlement of the judges. Other members of the House under the PDP approached me to buy into the project in order for me to get victory at the tribunal. But I told the Speaker and other members who approached me that since I am very confident that I won my April 11, 2015 election fair and square I don't need to bribe anybody to undermine justice," the SDP lawmaker stated confidently.

A Labour Party lawmaker told SaharaReporters of a similar instance with Mr. Monday Igbuya describing how he “approached [LP lawmaker] to bring N5million been contributions to settle the panel of judges at the House of Assembly tribunal to get justice. When the pressure was becoming unbearable for me, I asked the Speaker how he will go about it, and he told me in confidence that 23 PDP members of the House already raised about N115m, and will be rooted through Mrs. Pat Ajudua, a member of the House, representing Oshimili North constituency, said to be a very close associate of one of the tribunal judges.”

He added “Monday Igbuya confided in me that he will not leave anything to chance, that he is very desperate to save his seat. He is worried he could lose his seat, which is why he decided to engage the services Mrs. Pat Ajudua, the wife of Nigeria famous fraudster Fred Ajudua, to compromise the tribunal judges.”

SaharaReporters has gathered from conversations with lawmakers in the State that Mr. Igbuya has a very bad case against him in the election tribunal and could lose his seat.

Meanwhile, investigations by SaharaReporters revealed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State has already hinted of a plot to compromise the panel members.

Several calls and messages to the Mr. Igbuya and Mrs. Ajudua for comment were not returned at the time of filing this report. However an aide to Mr. Igbuya admitted "though, my Oga’s case at the tribunal is very bad and no longer a secret he would not bribe anybody to get justice."

SaharaReporters.com is an outstanding, groundbreaking news website that encourages citizen journalists to report ongoing corruption and government malfeasance in Africa. Using photos, text, and video dynamically, the site informs and prompts concerned African citizens and activists globally to act, denouncing officially-sanctioned corruption, the material impoverishment of its citizenry, defilement of the environment, and the callous disregard of the democratic principles enshrined in the constitution.